


Small victories

by carmshiii



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hurt and comfort, Post-Promised Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:00:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24407674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carmshiii/pseuds/carmshiii
Summary: At the end of the day, sometimes little victories hold a heavier weight.
Relationships: Izumi Curtis & Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric, Izumi Curtis/Sig Curtis
Comments: 5
Kudos: 41
Collections: Moms Made Fullmetal Week 2020





	Small victories

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Day 4 of Moms Made Fullmetal Week!  
> Enjoy reading!

Izumi Curtis has never experienced this level of exhaustion.

Considering the fact that she once got trapped in a collapsing mine (long story), wrestled a bear, and survived a month of the bitter cold wilderness up near Briggs, saying she was exhausted is really something.

But here she was, fatigue right into her very bones, looking out the view of her hospital window at the nearby ruins that were once the Central Headquarters. The once pristine front of the military base is now littered with missile holes, a tattered flag of Amestris hanging from a snapped pole. Izumi knew that the inside looked far worse, with an entire building almost gone because the monster, the one the homunculus called Father, had blasted off with the incredible power of God.

Right after Ed returns from the Gate of Truth, clutching the frail thin body of his younger brother Al, the officers that are present promptly get to work. They got Al, who upon coming back, immediately collapsed to the ground, possibly from exhaustion. Izumi remembers the way Hohenheim trembled at the sight of Al and despite the evident lack of strength to even support himself, he surged forward toward his sons.

The injured were immediately rushed to Central Hospital while the rest of the men went inside to try and capture those who were in it with Bradley’s plan. Most of them are high ranking officers that are arrested and are now in jail awaiting trial. Mustang’s team sent out a statement declaring that it was a coup instead of saying it was an all powered individual who almost sacrificed their souls for more power than he was capable of containing.

She leaned back in the hospital bed, turning her head to the side to loosen it up from being stiff. It has definitely been a while since she got into a battle, much less something as big and destructive as this one. Sure, she’s gone into some trouble before but since teaching those two boys, she hasn’t taken any more students and her alchemy is affecting her condition so she hasn’t done anything very tiring yet. That’s why when the battle was over and the adrenaline running through her body had worn off, Izumi wasn’t surprised when she started coughing up blood. Terrified, the officers around her immediately hauled her off to the hospital.

Sig came rushing in as soon as he heard, now the man was hunched over into himself, squeezing himself in that chair that was obviously too small for him. A smile slowly slipped into her lips as she looked at her husband. Despite everything they went through, he still stayed behind and left her to fight. That was one of the reasons why she fell in love with him in the first place. He doesn’t treat her like a fragile little thing, even before her condition, she wasn’t treated like a vase that is vulnerable to breaking. Sig knows she’s strong and he acknowledges that.

After getting a scolding from the doctor about overdoing it, she was confined to a week in the hospital for further observation and once she gets home, she has to be in bed rest and limited physical activities.

Izumi had just started to slip back to sleep when the creak of the door brought her back. Turning towards the sound, Edward’s head popped out the open door.

“Hey, Teacher. There’s someone who wanted to see you.” His blond head went back and he came back wheeling Alphonse in on a wheelchair. Ed pushed his brother at the side of her bed and for the first time since Alphonse finally got his body back that she studied him.

Gaunt cheeks, thin pale lips, his hospital gown is hanging on his body, a blanket was thrown around his shoulders. His arms and legs are almost to the bone. He honestly looked terrible but when Izumi looked into his eyes, she unexpectedly teared up.

Pure unadulterated joy, his golden eyes dancing with mirth with the feeling of having the only thing he has been working hard for all these years. Alphonse slowly lifted a thin hand from his lap and rested it on her knee. Despite the blanket covering her legs, she could feel the warmth from his bony hand.

That was the moment when Izumi, the housewife, started crying.

Twin expressions of disbelief stared at her as she hastily brushed the tears away and tried to reel in her emotions. These two boys who had their years robbed away, who had to become adults to correct the mistake they made, after all the tragedy that is their life, as she stared at Al’s hand on her knee and Ed’s arm resting over the back of his brother’s wheelchair, they finally have what they wanted the most.

Izumi lets out an embarrassed laugh, “Sorry. It must’ve been a surprise to see your amazing master suddenly cry.” She smiled at them. “It’s so nice to see you, Alphonse. Aren’t you supposed to be resting?”

“I told him he needed to rest but he insisted on visiting you first.” Ed’s words warmed her heart. She chuckled slightly, “I’m going to be here for a week. Doctor’s orders. You can visit me anytime you want while I’m here.”

“I wanted to pay everyone a visit first. Besides, the sun’s down and I’ve just woken up. The doctors said that my body was just catching up with time and needed more rest from time to time.” Al grinned, “I haven’t been able to sleep for a while so I’m still getting used to the idea again.”

While Ed has a very explosive type of personality, Izumi would say that Al is like a lamp, steady and stable. He’s very quiet but he wears his heart on his sleeve. When the boys visited her back home and Izumi realized what had happened, she laid down on her bed that night and cried. She doesn’t show emotions around the two before but what they went through is a very familiar feeling. The sense of longing and loss, doing anything to bring back what was gone and suddenly having something taken away from you for the taboo you committed is a feeling she knows all too well. And for a moment, she blamed herself for now seeing the signs. Maybe she could’ve changed both of their minds. But in the end, she knows no amount of explanation could change a determined alchemist.

Sig has tried to warn her about going too far but the guilt is way too strong, too loud enough to drown out the voice of reason in her mind. Now years later, she still pays for that mistake.

When she received that call from Ed, confirming that the _thing_ she brought back that fateful night was not her unborn child, she felt no regret, like Sig had expected, but joy. That her child did not suffer more than she thought. However, despite having a huge weight off her chest, she couldn’t shake the fact that she still needs to do something for the two orphans she took in.

She has been around Al when he was still attached to the armor and while a lot of people coveted the ability to be almost indestructible, she knows Alphonse. Despite this power, the only thing he wants is the simplest things, to be able to eat, sleep, and feel much like any other human being. The way he craved his mother.

Seeing him now with a smile on his face, his voice warm and giddy, and his eyes bright and laughing at something his brother said, Izumi could help but feel that last weight is gone. She had done what she could and left the rest for the Elrics to do their part to get what they wanted at the end. Normalcy.

“Why do you want to visit that bastard anyway? He’s just a big baby.” Ed pouted. Al frowned, “That’s not very nice, brother. Colonel lost his eyesight too.” Both of them went silent for a few minutes.

Ed grumbled, “I guess we can spare some time. I wanted to visit Lieutenant Hawkeye too and I am very sure that Colonel Bastard pulled some strings to be put in the same room. I swear he’s very clingy at Hawkeye. It’s like a little kid clutching his momma’s skirt.” Al simply smiled at his brother’s antics.

It is hilarious how these two, just hours earlier, were one of the youngest alchemists who fought an immortal being, survived the battle, and won.

“You two should go rest, especially you, Al. Make sure to eat a lot. I’ll make a brisket when you visit me back in-" A coughing fit interrupted her, she pressed her handkerchief against her mouth. When she drew it away, the white cloth was stained with blood. “Izumi-" Sig began to stand, but she waved him away, saying he’s fine without words. Her husband sat back down, still worried.

Ed rushed towards the table beside her to pour water from a pitcher. He handed it to her. “You’re the one who should be resting.” Alphonse admonished her. “You should push yourself too hard.” She took the cup and drank the entire thing.

“Al’s right. The battle took a toll on you, I can see it. I know you wanted to sleep, your eyes are drooping. We’ll leave now and visit some other time.” Ed decided and waved to Sig, who waved back with a smile.

The older Elric grabbed the wheelchair handles and pulled his brother away from the bed.

Al promised to come back tomorrow morning for lunch and the two brothers left and closed the door with a click.

Sig finally stood up and rubbed her back, “Are you sure, you’re fine?” his huge hands lightly cupping her shoulders. She rested her hand over one of his and smiled back. “I’m fine. It helped that those two rascals came to visit too. Made my day seem normal with the two of them bickering in here. I forgot I just fought a homunculus and unleashed everything I had on a being that had the power of God.” Izumi snickered at the thought. “Those two grew surrounded by the weirdest things, they were able to still act like their normal selves after what had just happened.”

“You’re a good mother, Izumi.” Sig’s deep voice declared.

She looked up and he was staring at her with eyes filled with love and dedication. “What?”

Sig sank down to sit by her side and said, “You’re a good mom. I know those two didn’t come from you and I know they annoy you to hell sometimes but still, you treat them as if they’re ours. And even back then when you told me you’re relieved that it wasn’t our baby the one you brought back, I know you didn’t want them to suffer. If not wanting your children to suffer, putting their needs and emotions before yourself isn’t being a parent, then I don’t know what is.”

“There’s more to being a parent than that, Sig.” Izumi said. “I know,” he replied. “But you have all those. You just have to see it for yourself.”

“Who are you and what have you done with my husband?” Izumi jokes, trying to lighten up the mood. Sig has always been steadfast and quiet. It’s not common for him to be saying things like this. “Why are you going sappy on me?” she asked.

“Because I’ve seen the way you look after those two.” He jerked a thumb towards the door, indicating the brothers. “You don’t show it, but you hover over them. It’s really amusing to watch. Trying tough love when you’re really a softie inside.” Sig chuckled when Izumi lightly slapped his hand. “But seriously, Izumi. You would’ve been a great mom.”

_She felt the tears well up when she said, “You would’ve been the best father too.”_

**Author's Note:**

> I was going for a different ending for this that involved Sig asking if they might adopt a kid but I scrapped the idea because I was having trouble with the concept. It slightly veered away from their characters so I dropped it.
> 
> Let me know what you think :)


End file.
